Hostlio Pro vs HotelRunner
Both are cloud software for independent properties. The biggest difference is how you pay: Hostlio Pro charges a flat monthly fee, while HotelRunner's Essential plans charge a percentage of booking revenue with a monthly minimum. This comparison is based on what each company publishes.
Short answer: choose Hostlio Pro if you want a fixed monthly price that doesn't grow with revenue and an AI assistant that answers guests on WhatsApp on every plan. HotelRunner may fit better if you need a booking engine and website, online payment collection or travel-agency (B2B) distribution in the same platform, or run a large property with many users.
| As of October 2026 | Hostlio Pro | HotelRunner |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Flat monthly fee: Starter $49, Pro $89, Growth $149 (USD, early-bird); 20% off with annual billing | Essential plans: a percentage of monthly realized booking revenue from all channels, with a monthly minimum |
| Published prices | Yes, on the pricing page | Essential Manage 0.75% a month (min. $19.95), Sell 1.25% (min. $29.95), Complete 1% (min. $39.95). Advanced and Elite: talk to sales |
| Per-booking fees | No per-booking fee or revenue percentage from Hostlio | Revenue percentage on Essential plans (above) |
| Channel manager | All plans, certified connections to 100+ OTAs | On Sell and Complete; "150+ channels" |
| Booking engine and website | Not included; Hostlio Pro focuses on PMS, channel manager and AI messaging | On Sell and Complete |
| AI guest messaging | Lio AI assistant on WhatsApp on every plan; Booking.com, Airbnb and Expedia inboxes too on Pro and Growth | Conversation manager, AI assistant and AI translation are listed under Guest Relationship Management in the Advanced plans (priced by sales) |
| WhatsApp guest messaging | All plans (Lio) | Not stated on the pricing and product pages we checked |
| Rooms and users | Rooms: Starter 10, Pro 50, Growth 150. Users: 3 / 8 / 20 | Unlimited rooms and unlimited users on Essential plans |
| Free trial | 7 days (card at signup, no charge until the trial ends) | "Start free trial" offered; length not stated on the pricing page |
| Support | English and Turkish | Chat, email and phone support on all plans |
Competitor information comes only from each company's own official pages and was checked on October 8, 2026; prices and plans can change. Hostlio Pro is a party to this comparison. Where we couldn't verify something, we left it out. Spotted a mistake? Tell us and we'll fix it.
Which costs less? A worked example by revenue
Under the formula in HotelRunner's pricing FAQ, the Essential Sell fee is 1.25% of monthly realized booking revenue from all channels, with $29.95 as the minimum. Hostlio Pro's plan price is fixed whatever your revenue. The numbers below are our own calculation; they exclude OTA commissions and taxes, and the two products don't cover exactly the same features.
| Monthly booking revenue | HotelRunner Essential Sell (1.25%, min. $29.95) | Hostlio Pro |
|---|---|---|
| $2,000 | $29.95 | $89 |
| $5,000 | $62.50 | $89 |
| $10,000 | $125 | $89 |
| $20,000 | $250 | $89 |
By this formula, below roughly $7,120 of monthly booking revenue the Essential Sell fee is lower than Hostlio Pro's; above it, higher. For Starter the threshold is about $3,920.
Where Hostlio Pro fits
A budget that doesn't grow with the season
Your Hostlio Pro fee stays the same in high season. The channel manager, room rack and AI assistant come in one package.
An AI assistant on WhatsApp on every plan
Lio answers guest questions with your hotel's information in the guest's language and leaves decisions such as discounts or complaints to you. On Pro and Growth, OTA inboxes are connected too, and Lio collects booking requests on WhatsApp that become reservations once you approve them.
Daily suggestions and clear numbers
Lio Suggestions bring pricing and operations ideas every morning; nothing changes without your approval. Analytics shows occupancy, ADR, RevPAR and gross, commission and net revenue per channel.
An easy move
Import your existing reservations from a CSV or Excel file; the setup wizard flags anything missing.
When HotelRunner is a better fit
You need a booking engine and website
HotelRunner's Sell plan includes a booking engine, website, central reservation system and metasearch next to the channel manager. Hostlio Pro doesn't offer these.
You want to collect payments in the platform
HotelRunner lists online payment processing and payment links. Hostlio Pro doesn't collect payments.
Large teams and many rooms
Essential plans have no room or user limit; Hostlio Pro's Growth plan stops at 150 rooms and 20 users.
Travel-agency (B2B) sales matter to you
HotelRunner offers B2B tools such as agency networking and contracting.
Your booking revenue is low
For a small property earning under roughly $3,920 a month, a percentage-based plan can cost less.
How switching to Hostlio Pro works
- Start the 7-day trial and add your room types and rates.
- Import your existing reservations from CSV or Excel (with column mapping and duplicate checks).
- Connect your channels to Hostlio Pro. Plan the cut-over time with your old channel manager so availability is updated from one system only.
- Fill in Lio's hotel information and use "Try Lio" to test a few guest questions.
Sources
- HotelRunner: Pricing (Checked on October 8, 2026)
- HotelRunner: Fiyatlandırma (Checked on October 8, 2026)
- HotelRunner: Channel manager (Checked on October 8, 2026)
More comparisons
- Hostlio Pro vs Cloudbeds: published price vs quote, AI messaging
- Cloudbeds alternatives for small hotels, with published prices
- Amenitiz alternative: published pricing and AI messaging on WhatsApp
- HiJiffy alternative: AI guest messaging with the PMS included
- Overview: Hostlio Pro, Cloudbeds, Mews, Little Hotelier and HotelRunner
Frequently asked questions
Is HotelRunner commission-based?
According to HotelRunner's pricing page, Essential plans charge a percentage (0.75%–1.25%) of monthly realized booking revenue from all channels, and each plan has a monthly minimum ($19.95–$39.95). Advanced and Elite plans are priced by the sales team.
Does Hostlio Pro charge a commission?
No. Hostlio Pro is a flat monthly fee with no per-booking fee or revenue percentage. OTAs charge their own commission either way.
Which one is cheaper?
It depends on your revenue. By HotelRunner's published formula, the Essential Sell fee equals Hostlio Pro's monthly price ($89) at about $7,120 of monthly booking revenue; above that HotelRunner costs more, below it Hostlio Pro does. The products differ in scope, so don't compare on price alone.
Can I move my reservations from HotelRunner?
Yes. Export your reservations as a CSV or Excel file and import them into Hostlio Pro; the import supports column mapping, date-format selection and duplicate checks.
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